Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-06
A BURNING MINE.
THE TERRIBLE DISASTER at THE VIC
ToRIA COMPANY NINE.
Many Men rmprisoned-Ths Efforts to kx-
tinguith the Fismes-Harrowing
scenes-The Injured.
fnv ,olsgr,ph % tho Dispatch

NASAMo, b. c., May 5.-Ail day
yesterday gangs of men were engaged
in strenuous efforts to subdue the
flames in No. | shaft OF the Victoria
Coal Company, where the explosion
occurred on Tuesday night. AT l z.
NJ. it was thought that they had the
fire under control. The Merriwether
steam. fre-engine did good service in
pumping water from the harbor down
the Shaft, hand fire-engine having
been taken down into the mine to fight
the fire from a level. II will be inn
possible to make an attempt to get ut
the imprisoned men until the fire Is
subdued, for by doing so it would
drive gas on TO the fire and cause a
second disaster. There Is but little
hope of rescuing the men alive, but
an effort will be made at the first pos
sible moment. Over one-half OF the
injured and imprisoned men have
wives and families 1t is estimated
that there are between fifty and seven
ty-fve Cinnamon in the mine. Jules
Michael. one of the injured. stated that
he was sitting in his cabin at supper IN
No. 9 shaft. He felt the conclusion,
and all scrambled out He became in-
sensible. Only one of his four com.
panions was saved. The dead bodies OF
the others came up in the cage with him.
Several of those rescued hardly appre-
ciate their miraculous escape owing to
the dazed feeling which characterized
oil who came out from the deadly pit.
Michael was only fifteen yards from
the entrance to the shaft when the ex-
plosion occurred. He represents it as
something terrific. All became dark
ness. All day yesterday gangs OF men
we're endeavoring to extlngulsh the
flames in No. shaft, and the fire there
is believed now to be under control.
Fears are entertained of second ex-
plosion of gas, which might blow the
whole place up, and old miners say that
such q result is possible. If so, the
catastrophe would be the greatest re-
corded in the history of coal-mining.
1t was at first thought of cutting a
ditch to salt water, so as to attempt to
put out the fire in No. 2 shaft by turn
inc a stream of water into it, but the
scheme was abandoned. 1t would only
food the mine, rendering it practically
useless for a year, and would Danish
any hope there might be of saving the
lives of the men. Imagine the scene
| The mines extend ont from the shore
more than mile beneath the waters o.
| the harbor, and as one looks over the
placid waves he cannot imagine tina
beneath are imprisoned many deaC
fathers and sons of eighty families o
this little city. Around the shaft thu
scenes are narrowing in the extreme
As each cage comes up anxious face
look there for glad tidings that neve
come. and the hope that there IL pros
| pect for the dear ones who died at tn
post of duty is soon dispelled.
LQter.-The fire in the mines IS con
siderably abated A dense volume o
steam arises from the air shaft, an
until the FIRE is completely subduei
will be impossible to enter the work
ings to ascertain whether the unfol
tunate men shut in are living or dead
Fresh relays of working parties ar
being brought from Wellington, an
the ships in the harbOr have also SUI
piled about sixty men, who are workin
nobly.